A PhD or a Running Revolution

Happy beautiful day readers!

So, in 2017 our CEFO decided to do the Great North Run. During this process, she was looking for healthy supplements and alternatives that would help her achieve the best on the day. So, in the quest to find something both fulfilling, tasty and natural she started searching for some of the best dairy free protein products around. Here’s how she got on…

Firstly, I came across PhD nutrition.

PhD £19.99 available at most good supermarkets

It’s low in calories but packs a mega punch of protein 58g per 100g. Also, its widely available in supermarkets AND is gluten. dairy and wheat free.

At the same time the revolution foods has 71.4g (yes really!) despite being completely vegan AND sugar free (availible at www.revolution-foods.com). The products were started after a lack of raw and natural products were available on the market.

So, its probably no surprise that the protein in this product caters for your protein requirements whether it is to supplement exercise or to improve dietary needs. What’s more, you’ll find all products in their natural state as nature intended. (BIG bonus!) They don’t use any synthetic flavourings, artificial sweeteners or unnecessary bulk fillers. Revolution foods strive to provide the finest quality products at competitive prices.

But taste wise how do they compare…? Well in order to find out I had to shake, shake, shake it!

You might also notice that both of these products have a slight green tinge to them but why? Well lets take a look at the ingredients a bit closer….

The most noticable from the photos was PhD but it does note that it is a ‘high protein greens blend’ so I may let them off here. The green comes primarily from a mixture of Spirinula, kale, broccoli and spinach so understandably it has quite a vivid colour- but would anyone SERIOUSLY consider drinking this? It also had a really odd artificial aftertaste that I wasn’t completely won over with.

On the other hand, I was much more impressed with the chocolate banana protein superfood. It’s naturally sweetened with stevia as well as a hint vanilla and ginger which has been proven to aid recovery when lifting weights. Additionally, it’s packed with digestive enzymes which I really noticed the difference with after only a few days of using the product. As anyone following a high protein diet will know, often it’s fairly easy to get bunged up so these digestive enzymes really worked! Also kilo for kilo phD was £35.99 compared to Revolution foods which was £24.99- so even better value there

What I didn’t realise when buying the product was that it’s also packed with electrolytes from a combination of coconut water powder and salt- and we all know the disastrous effects of a lack of hydration! Perhaps this product could be watered down a little further and used during a workout? While there’s nothing that advises against this, I would check with you nutritionist or doctor just in case.

Sadly, I didn’t feel PhD matched up to the same standard looks wise either…possibly the thing that made it really green was the green tea extract but I really didn’t feel I benefited from it…is it just another unncessary ingredient?

What really pulled me to Revolution foods was the live cultures. This seemed to be truly unique and given the other ingredients in the product I was more than impressed with its claims. Just like you find in a delicious yogurt! Most notably( lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus rhamnosus to name just a few) What I didn’t realise was the fact that live cultures were so beneficial! A recent study found that they can help improve brain function which can lead potentially to faster running because of a higher level of cognitive function. Additionally, they can also lead to a lower cholesterol thus reducing risk of heart disease! Both of these are excellent benefits when you’re a) looking to lose a few pounds and b) conscious of packing the most into every day! If that wasn’t enough, its also a possible treatment for IBS because 70% of a person’s immune system is said to be in their gut

Overall, my opinion is that the revolution foods wins hands down!! I’d much prefer this on supermarket shelves than PhD- and lets face it with a gorgeous golden colour, microbiotic cultures AND top green and natural credentials (which is exactly what we like) who wouldn’t want to buy it?!